Today was “Safari Day One.” We went on two driving safaris and one bush walk. There were many more OMG moments. There was not much to tell except for what we actually saw. Here is the list in the order that we saw them.
- Hyenas eating an impala carcass that was stolen from the leopard the day before.
- Zebra
- Mongoose following the Zebra hoping to disturb insects which the mongoose eat.
- Cape buffalo grazing in a herd.
- Wildebeest which is a “very confused animal” according to Roy. It has the horns of the buffalo, the stripes of a zebra, the body of a hyena, and the tail of a horse.
- A beautiful bird known as a lilac breasted roller.
- Our second lioness sighting.
We stopped for hot chocolate out in the Savannah Woodlands before setting off to see a large Kudu standing on a termite mound eating the leaves on a bush.
Back at the lodge, we had breakfast and then Victoria, Evie, Linda and I set out on a Bush Walk with Roy. We learned all about leaves, birds, animal tracks, and animal dung.
When I got back, I saw a hippopotamus standing out of the water in the pond on the Lodge property. Mom was sitting on our veranda. When I got close enough, she told me that I had missed seeing a giraffe but she did take pictures. I went inside to shower. While I was in the shower, Mom ran into the bathroom and told me to come quick, the giraffe was back. I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around me, grabbed my camera and headed out the door to get the pictures I had been hoping for. So, let just say I was nuts for standing outside in nothing but a towel with dripping wet hair to take a picture of a giraffe. Only in Africa.
We had lunch at 2:00 p.m. and then headed back out at 3:30 for the second safari drive of the day. This is what we saw:
- White crown Plover
- Impala
- Wildebeest
- Dwarf Mongoose
- Giraffe (finally got the picture I really wanted)
- Grey Lorry
- Brown hooded Kingfisher
- A memory of elephants at a watering hole. One elephant took off chasing a cape buffalo.
- A herd of Cape buffalo.
- A wake of Vultures.
- A leopard, the brother of the female we met last night. This leopard was eating a dead cape buffalo that had been killed by a vulture.
- The lionesses from earlier in the day.
Back at the lodge, we had dinner and settled in for the evening. As we were preparing for bed, I heard a very weird sound sort of like a cross between a turkey with a pig with a low deep hooting and hollering. Each of us thought it was outside of our own cabins but we were not close together. The strangest sound I have ever heard.
I can’t believe this experience I am having. Being only a few feet away from these very dangerous animals in an open jeep. We were extraordinarily lucky to see the “Big Five” in one day. The Big Five are the five animals that are the most dangerous to hunt on foot.
I can’t believe this experience I am having. Being only a few feet away from these very dangerous animals in an open jeep. We were extraordinarily lucky to see the “Big Five” in one day. The Big Five are the five animals that are the most dangerous to hunt on foot.
